Prenatal Care

Child Health

Prenatal Care

What does this measure?

The number of births to women who initiated prenatal care during the first trimester of pregnancy (before 13 weeks gestation), expressed as a percentage of all live births.

Why is this important?

Early, high-quality prenatal care is critical to reducing risks for complications of pregnancy or birth and improving birth outcomes.

How is our region performing?

In 2015, 79% of mothers in the 9-county region reported receiving early prenatal care, 3 percentage points higher than the statewide rate. The rate in our region has remained between 76% and 79% throughout the decade, higher than the state's rates. Mothers in Yates reported the lowest prenatal care in the region, 50% in 2015, up 1 point from the prior year. Mothers in Genesee reported the highest prenatal care in the region at 86%. In the City of Rochester, 73% of births were to women accessing early prenatal care, below the regional figure but up from 63% in 2000.

Notes about the data

The rate excludes the number of live births for which the date of entry into prenatal care is unknown. In addition to considering when prenatal care began, it is also important to understand the quality and continuity of care received throughout the pregnancy.

Featured Indicator

The number of children under 18 living below the federally defined poverty line, expressed as a percentage of all children under 18 and reported by various racial and ethnic groups. Poverty thresholds vary by family composition and year. In 2016, the threshold for a four-person family with two children was $24,339.